Asparagus plant -- `Jersey General`

ABSTRACT

There is disclosed a high volume producing Asparagus plant having a very good tolerance to Fusarium infestation, where other commercial asparagus cannot be grown profitably, very high production of marketable spears and excellent volume of jumbo spears with quality maintained even in hot weather, the plant being vigorous, high headed and well adapted to light sandy soil.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a new Asparagus plant which we have developed during a long continuing program having many different objectives, some of these relating to the production of plants which are resistant to diseases, have high quality spears, grow in various kinds of soil and produce greater quantities of jumbo spears.

The instant hybrid which is described in detail herein, we have chosen to designate as "Jersey General" for commercial identification since it is a male plant and is an example of our program with some particularly outstanding attributes.

The plant herein referred to, denominated as above noted, is a vigorous, high headed plant especially well adapted to light sandy soil found in southern New Jersey, where it has been grown, establishing its ability to produce greater quantities of jumbo spears than the variety "Greenwich", which is the subject of U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,550.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In addition, when compared with another variety which we have developed and known as "Jersey Giant", the subject of U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,551, our new plant provided a sixty-five percent greater yield as recorded over a two year period, data for the comparison being set forth hereinafter, data for other asparagus plants developed by us also being included.

Under other conditions as when the soil is a heavier sandy loam than the sandy soil referred to, which was Fusarium infested, near New Brunswick, N.J., our new plant produced thirty-five percent more jumbo spears than the next highest producing cultivar, and a total yield one hundred sixty-nine percent more jumbo spears than the average of a large number of other hybrids. The total marketable yield of our new hybrid was seventy percent greater than the average of sixteen other hybrids.

Tight spear tips which do not open readily in hot weather are another distinguishing aspect of our new plant, where other cultivars are prone to do so, resulting in lower spear quality.

We have found it very helpful to assemble data of many different kinds in view of our continuing development program, such data enabling us to not only distinguish but to direct our efforts to effecting the production of most improved plants.

We have caused our new plant to be asexually reproduced by crown division and found it to come true in successive generations.

In the accompanying drawing,

FIG. 1 discloses some of our data as applied to a typical plant,

And in FIG. 2, a color disclosure is provided, wherein the colors are described in reference to the Munsell Color Limit Cascade of Kollmorgen Corp., Baltimore, Md., and as nearly true as a photograph of this kind can provide.

As will be understood only representative data is supplied so that comparison with other plants described by us, may be made and assist in identifying our plants as well as distinguish from existing plants previously developed both by us and others.

    ______________________________________                                         BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION                                                          ______________________________________                                         STALK DATA                                                                     The number "1", in parenthesis below, indicates                                the measurements presented were taken from the largest                         stalk. All measurements below are in centimeters                               unless otherwise indicated.                                                    Number of nodes below first branch(1)                                                                    23                                                   Number of cm. from crown to first branch(1)                                                              38.1                                                 Number of branches(1)     64                                                   Number cm. between first and last branch(1)                                                              168.9                                                Internode length in cm. between branches(1)                                                              2.64                                                 Number of cladophyll nodes beyond last branch(1)                                                         35                                                   Number of cm. beyond last branch(1)                                                                      19.7                                                 Internode length in cm. beyond last branch(1)                                                            0.56                                                 Largest stalk diameter in mm                                                                             21.5                                                 Mean diameter of three largest stalks in mm                                                              19.5                                                 Number of stalks          19                                                   Stalk vigor index(Number × Mean Diam.)                                                             7,225                                                Mature stalk color, bloom removed. Color No. (1)                                                         22-12                                                Highest headed stalk cm. to first branch                                                                 57.2                                                 Length of highest headed stalk                                                                           228.6                                                FLOWER DATA                                                                    Petal tip (yellow) Color No. (1)                                                                         26-3                                                 Petal base (purple) Color No. (1)                                                                        46-7                                                 Flower length mm          6.8                                                  Flower width at midpoint mm                                                                              2.7                                                  THE SPECIFICATIONS TO FOLLOW ARE PRESENTED                                     IN CENTIMETERS UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED.                                        CLADOPHYLL DATA                                                                Number per node           4.87                                                 Length (mm)               12.00                                                Width (mm)                0.129                                                ______________________________________                                         ASPARAGUS HYBRID YIELD                                                                                        2                                                                              TOTAL                                                                 JUMBO    MARKET-                                                               Mean     ABLE                                                                  lb/A     lb/A                                            ______________________________________                                         JERSEY GENERAL 362 M × 22-8                                                                    758      1537                                            GREENWICH 53 × 22-8                                                                            428      1084                                            JERSEY GIANT 56 × 22-8                                                                         336      1050                                            JERSEY CENTENNIAL JC(RM-202)                                                                         460       946                                            ______________________________________                                          1 Larger than 10/16" diameter, 9" spears                                       2 Diameter 6/16' and larger, 9" spears                                    

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Asparagus plant as hereinbefore shown and described, characterized particularly as to novelty by the unique combination of particular adaptation to light sandy soil, substantially overall greater yield than other prior varieties, excellent production of jumbo spears, high marketable total yield, spear tips which remain tight even in hot weather, and good production in Fusarium infested heavy sandy loam. 